President Obama! Muslims Don’t Consider Americans As Enemy
By Syed Atiq ul Hassan, Sydney
The new US President Barack Hussein Obama, in his recent interview to Al Arabiya Satellite Television, said that
Americans are not the enemy of the Muslim world. He vowed to improve US relations with the Muslim world. He said that he
would travel to Muslim capitals and address the nations in order to create a better understanding. He pointed out that
he had lived in Indonesia for several years and travelled to many Muslim countries and found that regardless of faith,
people had certain common hopes and dreams. He said his administration is initiating a new partnership based on mutual
respect and mutual interest.
President Obama’s views reflect that there might be a conflict going on between the Muslim World and Americans. He gave
an impression that perhaps Muslims around the world hate the American people. President Obama’s statements misrepresent
the antagonism of Muslims around the world against former President George W Bush and his team.
President Obama should not mix people, nations and governments. You cannot compare oranges with apples. Muslims and
Americans are not two rival entities. My point is that you cannot address and compare people of one faith with the
people of one country. Even in America there are millions of Muslims who are Americans and who are 100 percent loyal to
their country. So, when President Obama is blaming Muslims of thinking that Americans are their enemy does not make
sense.
I believe he would have been referring to the antagonism that exists in the Muslim world against the former government
of Mr George W. Bush. Otherwise despite the fact that United States never supported the genuine demands of the people of
Palestine and Kashmir the common people in the Muslim world have never shown any enmity with the American people.
Instead leaders of the Muslims world are always found licking the shoes of American leaders. The Muslims from the
Islamic countries always like to migrate to United States for their better future and the American people always welcome
them. Therefore, there has never been any issue between the people of the United States and the people of the Muslim
World.
The former US administration of George Bush has already damaged Islam and the Muslims on the name of terrorism and
fanaticism in the last 8 years or so. Now, the Muslims around the world expect President Obama to heal the wounds of
Muslims and create a new world. Therefore, President Obama and his administration must be careful when addressing
Muslims and their issues.
Frustrated people in the Muslim world largely appreciated President Obama’s announcement of closing down Guantanamo Bay
and acknowledged the action as Obama’s first step of realisation of wrong doings of former Bush administration. However,
the people must understand that through the worst torture people can think, caging prisoners like animals, breaching
international law of human rights in the Guantanamo Bay the United States lost his image internationally. And now after
seven years, the biggest problem for the US administration was what to do with these prisoners. At present there are
more than 60 prisoners who were declared innocent by the military tribunal many months ago but the problem for former
Bush administration and now the current Obama administration is where to keep or send these unlucky people. The fact of
the matter is that the former administration of Mr. George Bush had been requesting to US allies and friends to accept
these prisoners of Guantanamo Bay. That is why the first thing President Obama was to suspend all military courts of
Guantanamo Bay, so that these prisoners can be moved to civil jails and their cases can be moved to civilian courts.
The international community especially the Muslim world must understand that in United States the government is run by a
particular imperialist group who have partnerships with Zionists. Most of the key people in the Obama’s cabinet are
either Jews or strong supporters of Jews policies. It doesn’t matter whether a half Muslim Barack Hussein Obama or the
leader of any background becomes the President of United States, their policy for Israel, Palestine, Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Iran or Iraq will never change. President Obama has already made it clear that his administration will
continue to back and protect Israel. He has made very clear to Pakistan that United States will continue to attack
members of Al Qaida and Taliban inside and outside Pakistani territory. Recently more than 20 civilian have been killed
by US forces attacks inside Pakistani territory. There has been no talk about international territorial laws and
principle.
Therefore, the people in the Muslim world don’t have to expect too much from US President Barack Hussein Obama. Peace
and stability between the Muslim world and the west are linked with two international geopolitical issues, the freedom
of Palestine and Kashmir. Both the issues are the creation of the West. And to solve these two issues are very simple as
the UN Security Council had already given its judgements on both 60 years ago. Therefore, if President Obama is really
sincere to bring peace and justice in the world and wants to bring change in the thinking of Muslim world as well as
like to bring Muslim World, the United States and the West together then why doesn’t he and his administration force
Israel and India to respect the United Nation as well as its Security Council. Why doesn’t President Obama force Israel
and India to implement the UN Security Council’s resolutions which have been dumped for the last 60 years ago?
Furthermore, in the current scenario, why doesn’t President Obama force Israel to arrest and bring to justice those
Israeli military officials who shamefully breaching international laws killed and tortured thousands of innocent women,
children and elders in Gaza? Why President Obama doesn’t orders his army generals to work with the tribal leaders of the
northern Pakistan and resolve issues peacefully rather dropping bombs and killing civilians. Why doesn’t President
Obama’s government compensate the relatives of hundreds and thousands who killed in Iraq, Afghanistan and northern
Pakistan by US forces? If President Obama cannot deliver these then the chances are the world will continue to see
injustices and the rule of jungle with new cards and new trends.
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(The writer is Sydney-based journalist).
Concluded: 28th of January, 2009